After an 18-month closure prompted by the Palisades fire and subsequent damaging floods, Temescal Gateway Park reopened Friday, restoring access to beloved trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Hikers can walk along Temescal Creek, crossing a few charming wooden bridges, or take one of the steep ridge line trails to gape at the ocean as they gasp for air. But the popular Temescal Canyon Trail, which takes hikers to Temescal Falls, remains closed.
In this edition of The Wild, our weekly outdoors newsletter, I will quickly outline what you need to know about returning to Temescal Canyon. My visit Friday was actually my first, but given the serenity I found in this coastal alcove, I will absolutely return. (Note: As of this morning, Google Maps still showed the park was closed; that is inaccurate.)
The Michael J. B. Allen memorial bench sits on a nice overlook in Temescal Canyon.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Temescal Gateway Park is a 141-acre expanse in Pacific Palisades that features a babbling brook, oak and sycamore canyons and trails that zigzag up the mountains, providing views of the Pacific Ocean and its coastline. It is owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy but managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.
From the park, you can hike into Topanga and Will Rogers state parks, although some state park trails remain closed. Those include:
People who frequented Temescal Canyon before the Palisades fire will notice the inevitable changes that come after a fire. Trail crews removed several fire-damaged trees, including multiple mature oaks, as dead trees can and do fall unexpectedly, according to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. The agency plans to continue reforestation projects in the park as money becomes available.
You can easily enter the park through its entrance off Sunset Boulevard. Upon entry, you’ll need to pay the $12 day-use fee at one of the machines stationed around the parking lot if you’re parking on the property. (And it’s not something to roll the dice on — I saw at least one couple get ticketed.)
A burned wayfinding sign on the Temescal Ridge Trail, which was left from the Palisades fire.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
I parked under a large coast live oak and headed northwest onto the Temescal Ridge Trail, which is exposed and has minimal shade but offers multiple options for day hikes, including:
- A quick out-and-back up Temescal Ridge Trail to one of the route’s popular lookout points.
- A 3.1-mile lollipop loop, taking Temescal Ridge Trail about 1.4 miles north to Bienveneda Trail, which loops you back around to the Temescal Ridge Trail at 2.3 miles into your journey.
- Or even farther up, as Temescal Ridge Trail leads to other longer trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.
A hiker heads up Tesmescal Ridge Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
I huffed up the trail and was pleased with how quickly I could see the ocean. Several burned trees and shrubs remain, but they’re surrounded by an abundance of plant life coming back, including cliff aster and laurel sumac.
Along the route, I was pleasantly surprised by the exuberance of my fellow hikers. Multiple people stopped me — a fun experience for a reporter — to just share how wonderful they felt being back in the park. “Isn’t this great?” one hiker shouted to me as she headed up the ridge line. A couple from Minnesota told me they’d flown in the day before and were eager to get back to Temescal Canyon, their favorite spot to hike in L.A.
A burned tree with native plants growing up and around it.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
My next stop was along the Sunset Trail, a 0.4-mile trail that runs along Temescal Creek. While I marveled at the gnarled and twisted old oak trees along the trail, I met a 14-year-old Parson Russell terrier named Finnegan. She seemed just as happy to be back as the people I encountered, especially on this shady trail next to running water.
Workers have installed three wooden bridges that cross over the creek, giving this short jaunt a whimsical feel. It ends near the road, and I turned back north, taking the sidewalk past picnic tables and rock shelters in a sycamore grove.
The Sunset Trail along Temescal Creek.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
I would have loved to visit the Temescal Canyon Trail to see Temescal Falls, but as I mentioned, that trail remains closed.
Isabela Noriega, a project manager at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Agency, said the agency will work with California State Parks officials to begin restoring the route, as only a portion of the trail is within the boundaries of Temescal Gateway Park and the rest is on state land.
“You’ll remember the fires happened Jan. 7, and then we got storms in February,” Noriega said. “So there was a lot of erosion [and] dirt debris that washed out the trails. [It’s] two disasters piling up on top of each other that we’re working to deal with.”
Instead, the third trail option you’ll have is the Rivas Canyon Trail, a fun jaunt up the hillside that features several sets of wooden stairs. You can access the trail at either of its trailheads (see map).
I started at its southern trailhead, which is behind a few buildings and near some machinery and felled trees. From there, I walked north along a wide path shaded by oak trees before taking the first set of stairs up.
One of multiple sets of stairs along the Rivas Canyon Trail.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
You’ll continue up the stairs, the views of the ocean growing better as you gain elevation. I was able to spot four sailboats as I hiked.
Although the trail is well maintained, there was a short stretch that was thick enough with cliff asters to make me grateful I wore pants. There were also a few spots where I paused to lightly stomp because low-lying branches of native shrubs covered the trail. These shady sites are great nap spots for rattlesnakes, which are common to the area.
Burned trees surrounded by native plants growing back after the Palisades fire scorched the hillside.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
About half a mile in, you’ll reach the Michael J. B. Allen memorial bench, built in honor of a UCLA professor and avid hiker. This is a nice spot to take a break and have a snack.
Right after this first bench, the trail is speckled with rocks that reminded me of dinosaur eggs or little bits of the moon. These moments always make me wish I’d paid far more attention in geology class, as I can generally only provide such riveting commentary as “Look at that pretty rock” or “Hey, is that a geode?” (It’s never a geode.)
Stairs lead to the overlook point where there’s a memorial bridge for local trail legends Rob and Mary Ann Webster.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
I continued east to the second memorial bench, built in honor of Ron and Mary Ann Webster, two beloved advocates of the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s often said that, if you’ve hiked in the Santa Monicas, you’ve likely stepped foot on a trail Ron designed.
The view from Rivas Canyon Trail in Temescal Canyon.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
I decided to end my day on the Websters’ bench. The self-care app I use had recommended I spend 15 minutes outside that day reading, and this felt like a fine spot to finish a fascinating piece about how to properly measure a mountain.
I paused, though, first to take in the view.
All around me, there were reminders of both the fire and its aftermath — burned-out trees and plants. But past the hillsides dotted with native plants returning in force, I saw the wooden frames of several houses being rebuilt. It was a reminder that this park’s reopening is another signal that nature, ourselves included, will continue onward.
3 things to do
A stargazer calibrates a telescope to look at the Orion Nebula during a star party hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society in L.A.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
1. Savor s’mores and the stars in Chinatown
Los Angeles State Historic Park, a 32-acre expanse of public land in Chinatown, will host a “Park After Dark” event with the L.A. Astronomical Society from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Telescopes will be set up, and park workers will help guests make s’mores around a community campfire at the park’s roundhouse bridge. Learn more at the park’s Instagram page.
2. Doddle along the dunes in Santa Monica
The Santa Monica Helping Hub and the Coastal Alliance will co-host a dune walk from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday in Santa Monica. Conservation biologist Ashley Oelsen, the alliance’s founder, will lead guests through the dunes and share why the stretch of beach is ecologically significant, serving as important habitat for threatened shorebirds and native coastal plants. Register at eventbrite.com.
3. Bend under the Buck Moon in L.A.
We Explore Earth, a local outdoors nonprofit, will host a full-moon hiking experience from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Elysian Park. Attendees will start meeting at 5:45 p.m. before heading on the hike at 6:25 p.m. After taking the Elysian Park west trail, participants can continue the evening with yoga, live music and stargazing with telescopes. Free, but donations of $5 to $10 are appreciated. Register at eventbrite.com.
The must-read
Crowds hike their way up the Mist Trail, one of the more popular trails in Yosemite National Park.
(William Hale Irwin/For The Times)
I am seemingly always planning my next adventure, including frequently pondering how soon I can return to Yosemite National Park. I last went in August and swam in the Merced River, hiked to Taft Point, saw Tunnel View at sunset and even went skydiving. But this past summer, that itch has felt more like a siren’s call as, like many outdoors lovers, I’ve been saddened by reports of serious overcrowding at one of America’s crown jewels. Over the past few weeks, I spoke to park-goers who’ve been to Yosemite this season, and I asked them: “Is it possible to still have fun there?” The answer, as I wrote in this story, was essentially, “Yes, but only if you plan accordingly.” Thankfully, they shared some tips on how to do that.
Happy adventuring,
P.S.
A bald eagle believed to be Jackie, one half of the celebrity raptor couple in Big Bear, was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Ojai after being rescued this past weekend. Times staff writer Lila Seidman reported that a team with the San Dimas Raptor Rescue arrived around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in Big Bear Lake and found a weak and tired eagle on the lake’s shoreline. The eagle was then transported to the Ojai Raptor Center, where the reason for her deterioration remains unknown. “Queen Jackie is in the best of care! And will be able to return soon!” one YouTube user wrote Tuesday evening in the livestream’s chat. “Sending all our love & prayers to her and the kiddos and her amazing hubby super Shadow holding it down!”
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
